Devices for Your Goals Smart Window Blinds
What It Is
Smart window blinds and shades can make it possible to raise, lower, and tilt your window shades with your voice or from a mobile app. You may also be able to automate them to adjust at a certain time of day or as part of a group of actions triggered by one voice command. Some have the ability to adjust depending on the light, conserving energy and saving you money on your heating and cooling bills. Most are battery powered, and some come with a remote so you can control the blinds even if the power goes out.
Smart window blinds come in a variety of styles, including venetian blinds, roller shades, pleated shades, and roman shades.
How It Helps
Smart window blinds help with privacy and control over the environment. Here are some examples of what you may be able to do using smart window blinds:
- Raise, lower, and tilt your window blinds with your voice.
Control the amount of sunlight in your room and your privacy without leaving your bed or chair. - Control your window blinds remotely using an app.
Close your blinds in the evening with the app on your smartphone if you are going to be late returning home. - Raise, lower, or tilt your window blinds as part of an automation.
Create a scene where the voice command, “Good morning,” triggers your smart speaker to tell you the weather and traffic, and raises your blinds to a specific height. - Set your blinds to open and close at certain times of day if you are going to be traveling.
- Enjoy just the right amount of light by enabling features that adjust the tilt of the blinds depending on the position of the sun.
Success Stories
Alexa uses smart speakers, smart lighting, smart window blinds, and smart door locks to live independently in her own home.
Read More About Alexa’s Smart HomeChoosing Your Device
Choosing the right device for you depends on many factors, including:
- What you want to do with the device
- How you want to do it
- Your accessibility needs
- The layout of your home
- Your internet connection
- What devices you would like to integrate together
Use our self-assessment to review your unique situation and needs, then read our top tips on how to choose your smart home technology.
Product Reviews
Once you have a good idea of what you want and need, research which products can help. Reviews can be very useful to understand each product’s strengths and limitations.
The following guide from Wirecutter reviews a number of smart home devices, including smart window blinds:
Below are some of our favorite review websites. Many of them have “best of” lists for smart devices, as well as in-depth reviews of specific products. Try performing a search online using the name of the website plus the device type and the year. For example: Wirecutter best smart window shades 2021.
Know what device you want but not sure how to fund it? Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) can help.
Learn About Funding